Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Zembla Yellow.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and referred to by the name xe2x80x98Zembla Yellowxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, on Nov. 27, 2001, as a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Zembla, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/094,280. The new Chrysanthemum was observed within a population of flowering plants of the cultivar Zembla. The selection of this plant was based on its unique ray floret coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings harvested in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands since January, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Zembla Yellow has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Zembla Yellowxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Zembla Yellowxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Decorative inflorescence form with yellow-colored ray florets; typically grown as a spray type.
2. Dark green-colored foliage.
3. Strong flowering stems.
4. Freely flowering habit.
5. Short response time.
6. Excellent postproduction longevity.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are most similar to plants of the parent cultivar Zembla; however in side-by-side comparisons conducted in ""s-Gravenzande, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Zembla in the following characteristics:
1. Leaf venation color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was duller green than leaf venation color of plants of the cultivar Zembla.
2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were yellow in color whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Zembla were white in color.